Boot and shoe sole.



J. A. FORD.

BOOT AND SHOE SOLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1916.

1 214.,66 6B Patented Feb. 6,1917.

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JAMES A. FOR-D, OF JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T PLYMOUTHRUBBER COMPANY, OF CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA-aeraeec.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. Form, a citizen of the.-United States,residing at dament in Boot and Shoe Soles, of which the.

following description,in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecificat on, ike characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to the construction of the flexible compositionsoles whichare in common use for boots and shoes. Such soles are made ofa composition of rubber or gutta percha and other materials, and theparticular nature of the composition is not involved in this invention.These soles comv prise essentially a toe portion and a shank portion,the latter extending back usually.

beneath a heel which is subsequently applied to the shoe. Atthe point.of union between the toe portion and the shank portion it is desirable'that there shall be a marked bevel so that when the sole is in placeupon the boot or shoe the outer surface of the toe portion should bebelow the outer surface of the shank portion and the parts should mergeby a fairly sharp bevel. In practice separate soles are made for theright and for the left shoe with the inner surfaceslof each sole insubstantially the same planetllroughout.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a sole of thischaracter so constructed that a single sole may be used either for theright or the left, thus simplifying the processes of manufacture, eabling a much smaller stock to be carried on hand, and enabling theretailer or user to carry half the stock which would otherwise benecessary to carry. This result is secured by constructing the solesymmetrical with respect to its transverse medial plane and with the toeand shank portions merging by similar oppositely disposed convergingbevels, whereby when the sole is secured to the boot or shoe either facemay be pressed in substantially the same plane throughout to form theinner face, thus at the same time increasing the angle of. the bevel ofthe opposite face to the desired form, and thus enabling the sole to beused either as a right or a left, and at the same time in either case topresent a Well defined exterior bevel.

The nature of the invention will appear more fully in the accompanyingdescription Specification of Letters Patent.

BOOT AND SHOE SOLE.

Patented Feb. 6, 191%.

Application filed may 31, 1916. Serial N0. 100,805.

and drawings and is defined in the appended claim.,

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a planview of the exterior or outer surfaceof a sole embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesole shown in Fig. 1 before it is applied to the shoe; Fig. 3 is acentral 1on gitudinal cross section of the sole; Fig. 4 is a similarcross section of the sole when used as a left and applied to the shoe;Fig. 5 is a similar cross section of the sole when used as a right andapplied to the shoe.

The soles embodying this invention may, asalready stated, he made of anysuitable composition or material, the essential being that each sole isintegral, flexible and composite. The shape and size of the sole dependsupon the style and size of the boot or shoe. The construction of thesole as manufactured is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Therefrom itwill be seen that the sole is symmetrical with respect to itstransverse, medial plane, but it comprises a toe portion A. and a shankportion B, the latter being of less thickness than the toe portion andthat the toe and shank portions merge by similar oppositely disposedconverging bevels. Either'face of the sole is adapted to be used as theouter face, and either face as the inner face. Owing to the symmetricalcharacter of the sole and its flexibility when it is attached to a bootor shoe according as it is used as a right or a left one face is pressedagainst the boot or shoe until it is substantially flat. Thisaccentuates the bevel on the opposite face and increases the angle ofthe bevel so that the desired character of bevel is presented upon theexterior surface of the sole. in Fig. 4 the sole shown in Fig. l isillustrated in the form it would assume when attached to the boot orshoe, as a left. In this casethe surface E used as the inner surfacewill present substantially the same plane throughout, while the bevel Chas become materially accentuated. Tn Fig. 5 the sole shown in Fig. l isillustrated in the form it would-assume when attached to the boot orshoe as a right. In this case the surface F used as the inner surfacewill present in either case presents the desired bevel where the toe andshank portions merger Having fully described my invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An integral, flexible, composition sole for 5 boots and shoessymmetrical with respect to its transverse, medial plane and comprisinga toe portion and a shank portion of less thickness than the toe portionwith the said portions merging by similar, oppositely dis- 10 posed,converging bevels so arranged that when secured to the boot or shoe,either face may be pressed into substantially the same plane throughoutto form the inner face thus increasing. the angle of the bevel of theopposite face and enabling the sole to be used either as a right or leftand in either case to present a well defined exterior bevel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

' JAMES A. FORD.

